Understanding Areas of Parallelograms Through Virtual Geometrical representations: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Do virtual representations, intended for teaching and learning, afford different constraints and affordances compared to their physical twins, and may this lead to different ways of interaction and understanding? In this line of inquiry, and with the perspective on learning as an extended activity, where learning can be mediated through the interaction with artefacts, the present study has translated the concrete material from a 30-year-old study on geometry to a digital application with virtual geometrical manipulatives. 26 students from the 6th grade worked with the software for two lessons and thereafter completed a test. Learning outcomes are presented and compared to those from the original study, revealing not only substantially less learning gains, but also other unexpected differences.